Eye on Iran: As Iran Sanctions Ease, Western Firms Seek a Way In

Join UANI           Top Stories WSJ: "Temporary sanctions relief hasn't yet translated into an economic turnaround in Iran. But at the Melal Hotel, business hasn't been this good in years. Employees of French drug maker Sanofi Aventis SA and tire maker Cie. Générale des Etablissements Michelin mingle on a recent morning among the still lifes and faux-leather chairs of the hotel dining room. At the breakfast buffet, a German tobacco salesman and an Irish drug-sales consultant went for seconds, loading their trays with savory pastries, flat bread and doogh, a yogurt-based drink. A few weeks earlier, two managers from French telecommunications company Orange SA stayed at the Melal, which is nestled on a quiet street of the Valiasr business district and offers suites appointed with engraved copper fireplaces and embroidered Persian sofas. Tehran is still choking from a reeling currency, inflation of more than 30% and shortages of water, fuel and medicine. But a steady flow of Western executives through here in recent weeks signals that economic détente with the rest of the world may be on the horizon... A high-profile delegation from Western companies, including cement maker Lafarge SA and bank Natixis SA, came in February on a trip organized by a French business association." http://t.uani.com/1o7usGV Al-Monitor: "House lawmakers are working on new terrorism-related Iran sanctions after ceding to the Barack Obama administration's request to back off the nuclear issue, Al-Monitor has learned. The House Foreign Affairs Committee is mulling ways to target Hezbollah and its Iranian patron in order to disrupt the group's support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. The push would allow lawmakers to demonstrate their independence from the White House on Iran while also addressing the Syrian crisis as the conflict enters its fourth year. 'I think it's important to make the point that it's not all hugs and kisses. Hezbollah could not exist without the support of Iran,' Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Al-Monitor. He said Congress cannot allow Iran to 'blackmail' the United States through terrorist proxies... Engel said he was working on the legislation with Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and others on the committee. The bill remains a work in progress, but sources cited the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010 as a model." http://t.uani.com/1gxIfBv Today's Zaman: "Ali Fuat Yılmazer, former chief of the İstanbul Police Department's intelligence unit, has claimed that Iran-linked notorious terrorist organization Tawhid-Salam has penetrated deep into the Turkish government in what amounts to international espionage. 'If details of this case file [on the probe into Tawhid-Salam] are revealed one day, we'll see how a foreign government can act comfortably in Turkey and how it was able to access many senior government officials,' Yılmazer said. 'They [members of the Tawhid-Salam terrorist group] have been able to develop relations at the most senior level,' the former intelligence chief added... If the allegations are true, Interior Minister Efkan Ala, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief Hakan Fidan and Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay are all involved with the Tawhid-Salam terrorist network." http://t.uani.com/1pBlqNZ        Commerce RFE/RL: "It has long been no secret that Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov's influence extends far beyond the North Caucasus. The most recent proof of that is that he has co-opted a Circassian automobile magnate and the president of one of Russia's 30 largest banks to invest $500 million in building a new automobile plant in Chechnya that will manufacture small trucks, primarily for export to Iran... The plans to export the lion's share of the trucks produced by Yugavto to Iran were announced by Industry and Energy Minister Galas Taymaskhanov at a Chechen government session earlier this month." http://t.uani.com/1g71LQp Trend: "India has released Iranian ship 'Dianthe', which was being held in Mumbai port for the last two years, Iran's IRNA news agency reported on March 28. The Iranian ship, which is owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) was detained in 2012 for non-payment of dues to a Singapore-based bank by the Mumbai High Court. Dianthe was affected by the sanctions on Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. As a result, financial transaction related to the purchase of the ship from its original owner could not be completed. Thus, Nordbank AG - the bank involved in the transaction over the vessel - was on the lookout to initiate legal action." http://t.uani.com/1myfN5T Human Rights ICHRI: "The United Nations Human Rights Council voted 21 to 9 to renew the mandate of Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed, a welcome development for human rights in Iran, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. The vote signals continued concern in the international community that the human rights situation has not improved as expected since the inauguration of President Hassan Rouhani, the Campaign added. The resolution to renew the mandate received 21 votes in favor, 9 against, and 16 abstentions. 'By renewing this mandate, the Human Rights Council is sending a strong message to the Iranian government that words are not enough. The world needs to see real, meaningful changes in Iran's human rights situation,' said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Campaign. Argentina, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Peru, Romania, UK, and the United States voted yes for the resolution. India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Venezuela, Vietnam, China, and Cuba opposed the resolution." http://t.uani.com/1g72j8V ICHRI: "In two separate letters addressed to Head of the Iranian Judiciary Sadegh Larijani, hundreds of Iranian lawyers have asked him for his immediate review of the judicial violations in the cases of four imprisoned Dervish lawyers. According to Majzooban-e Noor website, in one of the letters, 177 lawyers asked Larijani to review Judge Salavati's conduct in the cases. 'Issues such as the defendants' lack of access to a lawyer of their choosing, failure to make the cases available to all the lawyers involved to prepare their defense, failure to invite all lawyers representing the defendants to the trial sessions, and convening the court in the absence of all lawyers and a representative from the Prosecutor's Office, all of which, if confirmed, are clear violations of the Constitution and relevant laws.' Farshid Yadollahi, Amir Eslami, Mostafa Daneshjoo, and Omid Behrouzi are the four lawyers referenced in the letters. The men are currently in prison, serving seven and half years prison sentences, each on charges of 'establishing the illegal Majzooban-e Noor Group with the intent to disrupt national security,' 'propaganda against the regime,' 'insulting the Supreme Leader,' and 'participation in disrupting public order.' The four men are lawyers who represented the Gonabadi Dervishes arrested in September 2012. They ran the Majzooban-e Noor website, which focused on disseminating news about Dervishes." http://t.uani.com/1myeOCL Foreign Affairs WSJ: "Barack Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday marks a bid to warm relations that the Saudis hope will result in commitments by the U.S. president to boost the supply of sophisticated weapons to Syrian insurgents. Mr. Obama's stopover at the end of a European tour will mark his first visit to the kingdom since U.S.-Saudi ties were severely strained last year following the renewal of high-level U.S. contacts with Iran and the cancellation of planned airstrikes against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Saudis, America's most powerful Arab allies, are now looking for Mr. Obama to make clear how he views the growing regional influence of Iran, Saudi Arabia's rival... Saudi officials fear that an outright victory by Mr. Assad's Iranian-allied government will also strengthen Shia Muslim groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen that are hostile to the Saudi royal family." http://t.uani.com/1lrgvlp RFE/RL: "Iranian President Hassan Rohani has said during a visit to Kabul foreign countries that have twice occupied Afghanistan 'have brought violence and extremists' to the country. Rohani was in Kabul at the invitation of President Hamid Karzai, who is hosting this year's celebrations of the Persian New Year, Norouz. Without specifically naming the Soviet Union and United States, Rohani said the occupiers had 'brought the unfortunate seeds of violence' in Afghanistan, which has 'damaged the lives of people.' Rohani called for regional unity, a call repeated by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who was also in Kabul." http://t.uani.com/1la5l1B Opinion & Analysis J. Matthew McInnis in AEI: "As the Syrian crisis enters the beginning of its fourth year, Iran's Supreme Leader is taking stock of the sectarian and political conflicts in the region. By expending vast resources to bolster the Bashar al-Assad regime and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic has been able to prevent its ally's overthrow. Meanwhile, Khamenei appears to be looking elsewhere in the Levant and among the Gulf countries to rebuild Iran's alliances with Sunni states and groups that were lost during the upheaval of the Arab Spring in 2011. The Syrian crisis is jeopardizing the position of Iran's most valuable regional asset-Lebanese Hezbollah. Hezbollah's support for Assad has proved unpopular and Khamenei has surely noted with concern the recent uptick in targeted violence against Hezbollah strongholds and Iranian assets in Lebanon. These attacks are direct spillovers from Syria in response to the fall of the last rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border in Qalamoun last week. The Lebanese people increasingly see Hezbollah as neglecting its social obligations to the Shia communities at home to fight someone else's - Iran's - war. This erosion of Hezbollah's domestic support is a long-term threat to the Supreme Leader's interests. However, there are some positive trends developing in the Levant for the Islamic Republic. Hamas and Iran have recently renewed their bilateral relations after a three-year freeze. Khamenei is reportedly receiving Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Tehran soon. Amidst these recent diplomatic overtures, Israeli Defense Forces intercepted advanced Iranian munitions bound for Gaza earlier this March. Indeed, this shipment signals Khamenei's commitment to the Islamist group as the US-brokered April deadline for the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks approaches. One thing the Supreme Leader will be keeping an eye on during this week's Arab League summit is the growing foreign policy rift between Qatar and Saudi Arabia that has led to the split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are determined to combat Iran's regional ambitions, whereas Oman and Qatar are on the best terms with the Islamic Republic since the Arab Spring and see Tehran as a manageable partner in a volatile region. Qatar's unwillingness to buy into the Sunni narrative on the existential threat posed by the Islamic Republic to the Gulf countries was in part behind the Saudi decision to recall its ambassador from Doha. The Supreme Leader may attempt to exploit this split in the GCC via economic and cooperative agreements with Oman and Qatar. Iran's recent $60 billion 25-year contract with Oman, for example, shows the Supreme Leader's willingness to employ an array of economic incentives to reshape the GCC and more importantly the regional dynamics in Iran's favor. The Supreme Leader or his surrogates will likely have some choice words for the US and the Saudi leadership, as President Obama arrives in Riyadh on Friday. Khamenei has enjoyed watching the Saudi-American alliance fray as negotiations for a final deal on the Iranian nuclear program proceed and the US commitment to the region is increasingly questioned. Expect some subtle, or not so subtle, hints from Iran that the US is a fickle friend and the Arab World would do better without it." http://t.uani.com/1pBlTj6 Amir Taheri in Asharq Al-Awsat: "Signs that Tehran is not shy of throwing its weight around in and around Lebanon are everywhere. Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei has pointedly rebuffed Obama's attempts at drawing Iran into talks over Syria and has ordered President Hassan Rouhani to limit talks with the P5+1 group of major powers to the nuclear issue. Maj. Gen. Hassan Firuzabadi, the chief of staff of the Islamic Republic's armed forces, has repeatedly described Syria and Lebanon as 'part of our glacis.' 'We need those places so that we could fight our enemies far from our own borders,' Firuzabadi told a meeting of the military in Tehran last February. Ayatollah Mahmoud Nabawian, a member of the Security Commission of the Islamic Majlis (Iran's ersatz parliament), goes even further. 'Some say we are making sacrifices for Syria,' he said in a speech at the Jihad Conference in Tehran last February. 'The truth is that it is Syria that makes sacrifices for us.' Claiming that Iran was on the verge of a 'great victory' in Syria, he said: 'We brought 150,000 Syrians to Iran and gave them military training. We also sent 50,000 fighters from the Lebanese branch of Hezbollah to fight alongside them. We also gave Hezbollah 80,000 missiles with which to hit Israel, and that ensured America's defeat.' The expected 'victory' in Syria is only a prelude to 'the greatest victory' (fath al-mobin) that awaits the Islamic Republic, according to the Quds Corps' deputy commander, Gen. Ismail Qaanai. 'We cannot stop at Syria,' Qaanai said last month. 'Our aim is and has always been to lead the whole Muslim world.' He added: 'It is obvious that no other power has the capabilities needed to assume leadership in the Muslim world.' Part of the cockiness in Tehran is due to the belief that the US has knocked itself out of the regional, if not international, equation. 'The Americans know that we could hit them hard everywhere, including inside their own territory,' says Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad-Ali Jaafari. However, some senior mullahs have injected an openly sectarian tone into Tehran's expression of hubris. For example, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, godfather of the radical faction in Tehran, claims that Iran ought to gain control of Syria to 'efface the damage done to Islam by the Umayyads.' Last January, in a bitter attack on Othman, the third Caliph of Islam, Mesbah-Yazdi claimed that Muawyyah, a relative of Othman, tricked Ali Ibn-Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, and managed to set up a dynasty that 'falsified' Islam. Now Iran's task was to restore 'true Islam' everywhere. 'Syria and Lebanon are the forward positions of our revolutionary Islam,' Mesbah-Yazdi said.' Whatever we spend there must not be regarded as an ordinary military budget, as is the case with American and Russian military expenditure, for we are spending on defense of true religion.'" http://t.uani.com/1maDKNA Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.